Shining Light
by RenegadeHawk
Summary: Ex-Captain Kaida Rurani is many things. Sarcastic, powerful, and strong. What she is lacking is control, and when trapped in Hueco Mundo, nothing can be more dangerous. Will she fall for her captor, or will she fall to her death? GrimmjowxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A Bleach series! I simply adore Bleach, and the character I love the most, Grimmjow will be showcased! I'm hoping for this to be rather long, but it's not set yet. Let me know what you think! I'm multi-tasking on three works right now, so the updates on each will be sporadic. On that note, please enjoy! I do not own Bleach, but I do own Miss Kaida Rurani and her zanpakuto spirit and its abilities.**

Kaida ambled down the deserted streets of Karakura Town, a small black cat perched on her shoulder, and a man wearing a green and white striped hat and clogs walking beside her. She was outfitted in a white halter top that stayed together by ribbons tied around the back, exposing parts of her back where the ribbon didn't cover . She had goggles perched on her silvery white hair; bangs shielding her right eye from view. Her jeans had square cutouts in the back so they looked like shorts until the fabric came together again at the knees. She wore black leggings underneath so none of her legs showed through. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands and she wore black sneakers with silver accents. She had a devil may care air about her and carried herself with a confidence that not even the egotistical man next to her could manage.

Night was falling on the town and stars twinkled brightly in the velvety black sky. Kaida looked up at the sky and sighed heavily, eyelids dropping over her clear cerulean eyes. The cat swiveled its head to get a glimpse of the girl's gaping mouth as she yawned loudly, stretching out her arms upward, and curling her hands into a fist to pull her muscles even further. The man watched her in amusement; his eyes that were covered by the shadow of his hat glittered mischievously.

"Ah, Kaida~ what's the matter? You seem tired," he teased, flapping a fan he'd seemingly pulled from thin air in her face. Kaida shoved the fan out of the way, growling slightly.

"Like ya have to ask, Kisuke. You're running me into the ground with all this hollow killing work!" the girl groaned, stretching even further until her joints popped in her shoulders. The cat was squeezed between Kaida's toned bicep and her neck until it let an uncharacteristically high pitched _meow_. "Ah, shuddap Yoruichi, if you didn't want to get crushed you could have either ridden with Kisuke or walked by yourself, so quit yer whining" the girl grumbled, allowing her arms to swing back in front of her so that she could fold them in front of her chest.

The three continued on, enjoying the rare moment of peace that normally didn't come up in their lifestyles. Kaida was grateful for the lull in all the hollow activity that had been striking Karakura Town lately. It seemed that after Aizen had defected, hollows had been coming in droves, forcing Kaida, Ichigo and the Ryoka to work until they dropped from exhaustion; which had happened more than once, especially with Orihime, who was unused to the extensive workload that had been shoved onto her since the awakening of her powers. Chad and Ichigo tried to hide their fatigue, thinking it to be a weakness to show it, but Kaida could see the weariness etched into their faces and shadow rimmed eyes. She knew it was necessary to keep the people of Karakura town safe, but she desperately needed a break and would take even the slightest moment she had to herself and relish it. Kaida's smile melted into a frown as she thought of the young spacy girl; she'd been missing all day and Kaida was starting to worry for her. She didn't voice her apprehension to the others, though.

The trio rounded a corner, just as a certain redheaded freeloader came racing around the same corner in the opposite direction, apparently heading for the shop. The male sped ahead with such force that he knocked the surprised Kaida clean off her feet, sending her and Yoruichi flying backwards until they slammed into the unforgiving cement of the sidewalk. Kaida heaved herself up into a sitting position with a groan, rubbing her backside and wincing slightly in pain. Yoruichi lay sprawled out on the ground, eyes spinning from the impact. Renji flushed, seeing the two on the ground and offered a hand to Kaida to help her up. Kaida shot him a glare which sent shivers tingling down his back and turned to scoop up the still stunned Yoruichi.

"What could possibly be so important Renji," Kaida asked her voice deathly quiet. "That you would come careening around a corner so fast that you would knock into whatever poor innocent passerby and send them flying into the air?" Renji gulped, sweating visibly. There was a reason this girl had been one of the most feared yet respected captains in Soul Society; when she was angered she could terrify even Kenpachi Zaraki into wetting himself…well that might be an over statement, but it gets the point across that's she's a scary chick, Renji reasoned to himself. Kaida flashed up to the taller man, wrenching him down to her level so he was staring directly into her sparking (yes sparking, not sparkling, cause she's pissed as hell right now) cerulean eyes. Renji trembled in her grip in spite of himself, bracing himself for the storm that was brewing quickly behind the azure eyes of the enraged female before him. "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? THERE HAD BETTER BE A FUCKIN' GOOD REASON FOR YOU TO BARREL INTO ME LIKE THAT AND KNOCK OUT YORUICHI, OR I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU WILL NEVER SET FOOT INTO THAT GODDAMN SUNGLASSES STORE THAT YOU LOVE SO MUCH CAUSE YOUR LEGS WILL BE ATTACHED TO YOUR FUCKIN' HEAD! GOT IT?" she shrieked, before dropping the now trembling mass of what used to be considered a brave man. She looked down at Renji in scorn, waiting impatiently for his answer. He remained silent, scared stiff from the assault he'd somehow managed to survive. "ANSWER ME!" she snarled, glaring daggers at the man. Urahara stood in the background, enjoying the show playing out before him. He loved it when Kaida got angry. Not at him of course, but watching others face the wrath of the female captain amused him immensely.

"I-I-I-it's an a-arrancar. He popped up over by Kurosaki's place and is trashing the area. I-I came to find you guys cause they needed help." Renji stuttered, finally finding his voice. Kaida growled beneath her breath spinning on her heel to shunpo away, her captain's coat now fluttering behind her as she popped a mod soul into her mouth. Urahara watched as Renji scrambled to his feet, dashing off after the ex-captain as if his life depended on it, which, in her current mood, it probably did.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: hey so I know that Kaida seems like a huge bitch, but she's really not. She's just a little…rough around the edges. She has her good points too, I mean, the whole reason she got mad at renji was cause he hurt Yoruichi, who's a good friend of Kaida's. Also, I don't hate Renji, really I don't. it was just a part of the plot, to get the story moving and such.)**

Kaida skidded to a halt as the reiatsu in the area skyrocketed, signaling to Kaida that she was in the right place. She stood in the middle of the park near Ichigo Kurosaki's house. The whole area was completely trashed, just as Renji had said; the ground was torn up, exposing the black soil hidden beneath the lush cover of grass, the fence surrounding the baseball field that Kaida saw Ichigo's baby sister Karin play in with her friends was contorted and dented, with a distinct bend at the one point, where it seemed someone had been thrown. Another reiatsu sped up behind her, and she spun around to come face to face with Renji, who was breathing heavily from the exertion of trying to catch up to the former captain. "Where is Ichigo?" Kaida questioned, just as said carrot top came tearing between the two, forcing them to jump out of the way as he gathered himself and leapt into the sky, where, as Kaida could now see, a man with electric blue hair standing cockily above them. He was turned away from the two shinigami so that they couldn't see the side of his face. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his hakama pants while he leaned forward slightly, taunting the boy with a smirk, waiting for Ichigo to make a move. With a roar, Ichigo launched himself at the strange man. He sidestepped to avoid the attack, twisting his toned body in the process, so that Kaida could finally make out all of his facial features. He had manic cerulean eyes, the color strangely reminiscent of her own; his mouth was turned up in a sadistic smirk. But what really caught Kaida's attention was the bone fragment set along his jaw, sporting sharp jagged teeth and rising to graze his cheek. So this was one of the arrancar that was causing such a commotion in Soul Society. Kaida narrowed her eyes, a frown tugging at her lips.

Suddenly, the arrancar glanced down at the woman as if he'd suddenly realized she was there. His smirk grew even more prominent on his features as he recognized the captain's haori that Kaida was outfitted in. he dropped from the air - leaving a bewildered Ichigo behind - to land directly in front of the woman who narrowed her eyes even further, glaring at the man before her menacingly. "What's your name, arrancar? I like to know the names of the ones I kill." Kaida stated, her eyes beginning to gleam with the thought of a battle.

The blue haired man snickered at the female's cockiness. She sure had guts, this one. She'd be fun to kill if she could back up her big words. She probably could from the look of it; if her captain's haori was any indication. That feral gleam in her eyes only served to add to her potential as a fighter. She had a long, lean, lithe body (so many l words lol) and toned muscles rippled under her shihakusho. The arrancar's grin twisted into a full blown sadistic smile at the thought of fighting this new opponent. His battle with the orange haired boy could wait; he had another game to play. He sauntered up to the female, noticing her muscles tense in anticipation of an attack. "the name is Grimmjow, Sexta Espada, and it's the last you'll ever hear before you die." he announced proudly before shooting forward, arm outstretched, ready to pierce Kaida's chest.

Now Kaida was sporting a battle crazed smile of her own. She leapt out of the way of Grimmjow's attack, spinning in the air to lash out her leg to catch Grimmjow in the chest with her foot and send him crashing to the ground. He got up growling now as debris swirled around his form and a trickle of scarlet blood ran from his hairline. "Bitch," he snarled, swiping the blood away from his eyes. Kaida just shrugged her shoulders, leaning forward to attack again and grinning at the man across from her tauntingly. Grimmjow lunged again, aiming for the shinigami's throat. Kaida leapt upwards, taking to the sky. She shrugged out of her haori, tossing it down in Renji's visibly shocked face.

"Take care of that for me will ya, eyebrows?" she called out carelessly, rolling her shoulder back to work out any kinks.

Renji gaped at her "You're fighting _without your haori? _You can't do that Rurani-taicho!" He yelled, clutching the haori as if it were a sacred relic rather than a simple haori.

"I ain't riskin' my life for some piece of cloth," Kaida growled. "It'll just get in the way, and it means nothing to me now," Renji said nothing to that, knowing that it was a rather sensitive subject for the woman.

She turned away from the red head, pulling her zanpakuto from the sheathe strapped to her back. "Time to get serious I guess…." she muttered, running her hand lightly along the flat of the blade. As she ran her hand along it, the blade extended under her fingertips. It had a smooth edge, tapering out farther than most other zanpakuto would. It extended as long as Ichigo's and the metallic silver was surrounded by a soft yellow glow. The hilt was tied off with a yellow ribbon that flowed off the guard and swirled around Kaida. She lifted the blade up, slinging it behind her shoulder nonchalantly. "Alrighty then, Grimmy. Give it your all so ya can die with pride."

"I won't be the one to die here!" Grimmjow shouted, twitching but otherwise ignoring the nickname before pulling his arm back like he was about to throw something. A bright red glow emanated from his hand, bathing everything around the blue haired man in an eerie blood red color. The light rocketed from his hand, speeding towards the girl who merely raised her arm to absorb it in her own hand. It flashed yellow before disappearing into her skin. The light on her zanpauto rippled red briefly before returning to its original yellow hue.

"Wha-what the…." Ichigo stuttered, standing with Renji on the ground under Kaida's airborne battlefield. "What was that?"

Renji didn't look at Ichigo when he answered "Rurani-taicho's zanpakuto is a light centered sword. It can absorb any light it comes in contact with and then use it against her opponent." Ichigo stared at Renji, then up at Kaida, whose features had reverted back to a serious expression as she watched Grimmjow

Grimmjow sported an uncaring frown on his face, as if it were only a minor setback that one of his major attacks was useless against this woman. "Che, sounds like a pretty pathetic ability. What kind of damage could light do?"

"You say that, but what is a cero ray but light?" Kaida retorted, swinging her sword around to point the tip at Grimmjow's chest. "I'll just have to show you my shikai to make you understand then," She decided, her features retaining the serious nature from when the cero was fired at her. The zanpakuto's light flared again, illuminating Kaida and Grimmjow's face amidst the shadows of dusk. A light wind rippled through their hair, causing Kaida's to billow out gently behind her and Grimmjow's to become slightly ruffled. He pulled out his Pantera, positioning it in a guard stance. "Reach into the hearts of the fallen, Ketatamashiite," she called out. Light burst out in all directions, like a firework. One bar phased through Pantera, piercing Grimmjow in the chest. He was flung back across the park, the light completely enveloping his body.

"Wha-what the hell?" He shouted furiously, trying futilely to rub the light from his skin.

"Tell me something, Espada." Kaida called out, voice reverberating with a deeper undertone, as if someone else was speaking along with her. "What is it you fear most?" Her eyes darkened several shades, becoming such a dark blue that they almost appeared black. "What is it that makes you feel shattered, useless, helpless? There's no light in this world, Espada. There is nothing, nothing worth existing for," The light around Grimmjow flared even brighter, a blinding ray piercing the eyes of all who looked at it.

On the ground, Renji and Ichigo shielded their eyes from the onslaught of light. Beneath his elbow, Ichigo peered out and was barely able to make out Grimmjow's body writhing in silent pain from the radiance that enveloped him. "What's going on?" Ichigo shouted as the winds picked up, shihakusho flapping wildly around his ankles.

Renji stared at the former captain, shock registering on his face. "I-I don't know!" he yelled back. "This has never happened before!"

A voice spoke up behind the two "Not that you've seen, anyway,"

Ichigo and Renji jumped at the noise, rounding on the intruder and drawing their zanpakuto in unison. Urahara stared back at them, his hat somehow remaining on his head even with the winds screaming around him. His face was uncharacteristically serious as he regarded the woman above him. She was nothing like the Kaida he knew. Kaida didn't give in to her emotions in front of others. Many said that made her strong, but Urahara pitied her for not having the courage to open up to anyone. Yet here she was, all her conflicting feelings pouring out to a complete stranger. There was only one cause for this; he hated what it did to her, but it was a necessary evil. He glanced at the boys now staring at him rather than Kaida, expectantly waiting for an explanation. "Her shikai," he told them, closing his eyes to the sudden confusion that played across the other shinigami' faces. "Her attack allows her to expose the darkness of the heart of her opponent. It's incredibly strong, but it has its setbacks," Urahara explained vaguely, only adding to the confusion.

"Hat and Clogs…. What do you mean by setbacks?" Ichigo asked, his face falling into a concerned frown. Urahara gazed at him for a moment before answering.

"If her attack exposes the darkness of the heart, that means she must endure the emotions that come along with it herself on top of her own feelings. If the opponent's emotions are powerful enough, they can consume her mind, like right now," Urahara muttered. Ichigo's eyes widened at this, turning his head to look up at the woman above him. Her eyes seemed clouded with pain, and she was doubled over as if someone had kicked her in the gut. Her screams resonated with Grimmjow's, each locked in the worlds of pain that Kaida had opened up. Urahara regarded Ichigo's panicked expression, his own face devoid of any emotion. "What will you do, Ichigo? Pulling her out by force might kill her, but it would end her pain."

Ichigo spun back to glare at the older man "how can you say that? Isn't she your friend? Doesn't she mean anything to you? How can you let her suffer like this?" he shouted. Urahara turned away.

"Because it's not my battle. You may be strong, Ichigo, but you can't save everyone. This is Kaida's battle. The one who wins this will win the overall fight,"

Renji spoke up after a moment of silence. "Do you mean Kaida and the Espada, or Kaida and herself?" Urahara had no answer to that and only turned to watch the fight carry on.

"You can't just stand there watch her like that!" Ichigo shouted, grabbing a fistful of the shoten owner's jacket. "We have to help her!" Urahara's face grew serious. He covered Ichigo's hand with his own, pulling it away.

"Didn't you just hear what I told you? We can't help her," Urahara all but snarled. "Don't you think I would have already? She's a dear friend, so trust me when I say there's nothing we can do to save her," Ichigo glanced back up at the female former captain. Her face was contorted in pain, mouth dropping open as she shrieked to the sky.

Ichigo felt a new spiritual pressure arrive. He looked up to see two Gargantua appear; one behind Grimmjow Jeagerjaques and the other behind Kaida. A pale man with shoulder length black hair emerged from the tear in the sky. Ichigo's eyes widened as he recognized Ulquiorra Schiffer, another Espada. Renji gasped when he recognized the figure behind The Sexta; the old Captain of the Ninth Squad- Tosen Kaname. Ulquiorra leaned around Kaida, reaching out to grab her chin. Her trembling body stumbled as he tugged, her eyes flickering open to half-mast to gaze through a pain filled haze at the man touching her.

"Hn, so you're the piece of trash Aizen ordered Grimmjow to find. Even an idiot such as he could not fulfill his task. He didn't even initially go to find you; he targeted the Kurosaki boy." He drawled quietly. Ichigo could barely hear him. "You'd better suit Aizen's needs, woman."

Kaida strained against his hand, eyes widening in frantic fear as her hand scrabbled against his, desperate to get away from him even though her mind was so traumatized by pain that she would have reacted the same to anyone touching her. Her hand wound around his wrist, pulling his hand away from her.

"NO!" she screamed hysterically, shocking everyone at the scene. Urahara stared up at his old friend.

"This isn't good…" he mused, sweat forming on his forehead. Ichigo and Renji stared at him, their teeth clenched in anxiety at the shrieks that rent the air. Somehow these cries seemed even more tortured than before.

"How can this zanpakuto ability be worth it?" Ichigo yelled over the sound of Kaida's voice. "If it hurts her as much as her opponent, then what's the point?" This Kaida Ichigo saw now seemed the complete opposite of the usual woman who always had seemed so collected, if a little violent, but the new Kaida seemed so vulnerable and tormented.

"Kaida! Listen to me! It's Kisuke, do you remember my voice? Snap out of it, you can fight it, just like you always have!" Urahara shouted up to the woman. He saw he body stiffen almost impercievably before shaking again.

"Alone…" she whispered to herself, tears filling her eyes. Urahara was somehow able to see the tears, and lunged into the air to her. _Shit. Shit. Shit! This has never happened before! Why are you crying, Kaida? Kaida!_ He reached for the woman who was just out of his grasp, strained for even the back that she had turned to him; he had to save her, at least once from her fate, even though he had promised her he'd never do so.

His fingers only brushed the hem of her shihakusho.

The pale arrancar stepped around to shield the captain from the shop owner's view. "This is becoming annoying," he muttered. He raised his hand, placing it on Kaida's shoulder, just at the base of the neck. She slumped forward as he applied pressure, falling into the arrancar's arms as she blacked out. "This woman is now the property of Aizen-sama." He backed into the gargantuan as Urahara shot past him, clutching Kaida's body to his chest. Tosen followed suit, the still thrashing Grimmjow in tow. The two portals blinked out of sight as Urahara turned in the air in a desperate attempt to get to Kaida. The desperation sparked in Urahara's eyes, causing them to become over bright as if he were about to cry.

"Ah…what am I going to tell Yoruichi…" he muttered as Renji and Ichigo reached him. Ichigo's face was contorted in a fierce mask. He looked at Urahara's defeated features, his own crumbling to mirror the older man's.

Renji stared at his two companions, his face pained in sympathy; he hadn't known the captain as well as Urahara, so he was able to keep his head amidst the grief surrounding him.

Urahara stared down to the ground that lay waiting hundreds of feet below. He brought a shaking hand up to his field of vision, clenching it to stop the tremors, lowering it again when it didn't work. He screwed his eyes shut as he remembered Kaida's pain stricken face in his mind. Just like a cliché movie, he heard a distant rumble of thunder as a steady rain opened up in the sky.

Ichigo grit his teeth as he tilted his head back to the sky, hoping the rain would wash away any feeling, leave him numb. Two loved ones-two! - had been unable to rely on him when they'd needed him! And both had been taken right from under his nose, someone he'd looked up to.

Renji turned his face away, not wanting the others to see his face as he mourned the loss of the mentor who'd helped him refine his Bankai. If only he'd stopped her from fighting, or not gone to her for help! But deep down, he knew that there was nothing he could have done; Ichigo had needed her help, or he would have died.

Urahara slowly opened his eyes, which were now blank and devoid of any emotion. Suddenly, he threw his head back, screaming the loss of his friend to the heavens. His voice rent the sky, piercing the usual peace of Karakura Town.

* * *

**Again, my writing makes no sense….i apologize…Anywho, the other person Ichi couldn't save was Rukia(when Byakuya arrested her). Also, this timeline starts right before the group finds out that Orihime was kidnapped by Ulquiorra, so they'll get the message when they all go home (but im not going to add that part in, since it's not really pertinent to the plot)**


	3. Chapter 3

Yoruichi, having finally woken up, wandered to where she remembered Kaida had been called to. She briefly contemplated why neither she nor Urahara had returned to the shop. She froze when she saw three figures huddled against the rain. She picked her way over the tattered battlefield, making her way to her companions, her trademark grin on her face.

"Hey, boys, you look like you've been through the wringer. Lose a fight? You don't seem too injured to me~ Come on I'm hungry, Kisuke! It's not that big a deal! Everyone gets knocked down a peg now and then!" Yourichi exclaimed, leaning over the three men. She paused when she noticed that Kaida wasn't in the group. "Hey, where's Kaida? She's gonna miss out on dinner?" Finally, she gazed down into the boys' eyes, her own widening when she saw the raw pain that was exposed on their features.

A hand flew to her mouth as she anticipated the worst. "D-dead…?" she whispered. She turned to Urahara, demanding an answer with her eyes. He looked back at her, his own eyes flat and hollow.

"Aizen has her," he mumbled, looking away from his companion. Yoruichi's face closed over, masking any emotion she might have shown. It was a handy trick she'd picked up from Byakuya, and she drew on all her strength to use it now. She glanced at Ichigo, whose eyes were clouded over as he stared stonily into the distance, avoiding the gaze of the purple haired woman.

Yoruichi sighed heavily, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. "Let's go home," she murmured. "We're not doing any good here." The three men soundlessly stood and followed her off the tattered battleground, stumbling over the torn grass and picking their way clumsily over overturned soil.

It wasn't until Ichigo heard that Orihime had also been taken that he realized the full extent of Aizen's influence.

**A short chapter. I promise, Grimmjow will play a bigger part soon. I'm trying to keep him in character, so as the chapters continue, please tell me how I am doing! **


	4. Chapter 4

Kaida stirred just as the pale arrancar holding her dropped her in front of his master. Her shoulder jarred painfully against the cold, unforgiving floor. She winced at the impact, sending a weak glare at her captor. He stared on impassively and Kaida swiveled her head to look at the man behind her kidnapping: the traitor Aizen.

"Ah, Kaida, so good to see you looking well," Aizen greeted her amiably. He lounged on a white marble throne, surrounded by the other Espada and their fraccion. It was an intimidating view to say the least. His mouth was turned up in a smirk, yet it wasn't the least bit friendly; the coldness behind it sent tremors up Kaida's spine.

Kaida looked the farthest thing from "well". Her white hair was plastered to her head with a layer of sweat, there were dark bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days, and she was paler than the ghosts that haunted Ichigo before he could put them to rest.

She glared up at the despised traitor with as much contempt as she could muster while lying sprawled on the floor. "You bastard…."she growled.

A sharp pain flared at her side and Kaida exhaled sharply in surprise. Ulquiorra drew his leg back again, a savage reminder of her compromising situation. "Just gonna have your lackeys kill me here then, Aizen? Can't even be bothered to do that yourself? Coward." She ground out through clenched teeth. She was already throbbing from the toll her zanpakuto had taken on her.

The smug smirk never left Aizen's face. He gestured and two arrancar stepped forward. Ulquiorra hoisted Kaida off the floor by her upper arm. She dangled in his hold; her legs dragging out behind her. The two arrancar drew up before her. Kaida eyed them with disgust. They were emotionless as they grabbed the zanpakuto and sheathe from her hip. As their hands closed over her blade, she tried to lunge at them, but Ulquiorra's grasp on her arm and her lack of support underneath herself didn't give her much room to maneuver.

Ulquiorra jerked her back and she stumbled, crashing into his chest. His cold, hard-as-steel arms snapped around her, preventing any movement. She thrashed violently; lashing out with her legs and hurling her body around so much that she threw Ulquiorra off balance. He pinned her under his body, shoving her against the ground.

Grimmjow stood at the back of the group, watching that shinigami wench that bastard Ulquiorra had picked up. He had conveniently forgotten that the job had originally rested with him to grab her from the human town, but fighting Kurosaki was the priority and no bitch was going to stand in his way. At least four men were piled on top of her now. She had seemed pretty docile until Aizen had her sword taken away._ Must not be much without her weapon._ He thought with contempt. Of course, when someone had such a ridiculously powerful shikai like hers, who would feel the need to actually learn to fight? Grimmjow did not count his fight with the woman as a defeat; her zanpakuto had done all the work, not her. He hated her type, thinking she was on top of the world just because she had a fancy power.

Aizen was speaking, and Grimmjow vaguely heard his name in the garble that he wasn't paying attention to. He shrugged it off; what did he care? He was probably being reproached for losing to such an incompetent wretch.

"…Won't you Grimmjow?" Aizen mockingly asked. Grimmjow glared at the other man. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes in poorly restrained fury.

"Yes, Lord Aizen. I won't allow such a weakling to defeat me," he ground out, hoping that that was what Aizen had been rambling about.

The other man chuckled, his cheek resting on the back of his hand. "I'm sure you won't, Grimmjow, seeing as how she will be under your care during her stay here. Make sure she is comfortable here and that she does not get into too much trouble. I need the lady captain alive after all,"

Grimmjow stood dumbstruck for just a moment, but swiftly recovered. Mercifully he didn't speak against his master, but the rage that blazed behind his eyes was a small window to the mutiny building up against Aizen. His voice grated with hatred when he nodded to his lord and answered "of course, my Lord Aizen." He stalked over to the pile holding down the still struggling female, leaned over and wrenched her out of the writhing mass of bodies. Somewhere in the scuffle she had picked up numerous bruises up and down her arms, and doubtlessly over her torso, as well as a split lip. She hung limp in Grimmjow's hold on her elbow, the other arm reaching up to wipe the blood off her lip.

He began to drag her out of the hall, which was when Kaida seemed to grasp that he was taking her away, away from Aizen and most importantly, away from her zanpakuto. She fought against Grimmjow's iron grip, which didn't slacken at all, screaming for Ketatamashiite. She struggled enough that even from the disadvantage of her body positioning she forced Grimmjow to stop in his tracks.

He jerked her up and back, her ear right next to his mouth. "If you don't cut it out, woman, you'll have more than just a few bruises to worry about,"

Kaida whipped her head around, her eyes narrowing into slits. Her lips drew back into the faintest snarl. "What could you possibly do to me, Espada? Nothing will compare to what will happen if I do not get my blade back."

The two glared at each other, sizing the other up. The entire room knew who the victor would be, yet Kaida refused to back down; if she did now, she'd never survive in a place like this. Kaida felt a pressure behind her knees, and she collapsed in an ungraceful heap at Grimmjow's feet. His foot connected with her side, launching her into the air. Kaida hurled her weight around, barely managing to get her legs under her body. She slid across the floor, skidding to a stop a few feet away.

She stood up, smirking now."shoulda held on tight, Espada. Didn't your mama ever tell you that if you don't wanna lose something, you should never let it go?" there was a tense silence for a moment, where time seemed to freeze. No one dared to move, to break the spell that had fallen across the room. Finally, someone was able to push past the spell, a certain blue haired man who realized at the last second what the female captain was implying.

"You bitch-" He cursed, lunging after his previous captive, but it was too late. All he saw was the flash of her smug grin before she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Aizen watched with impassive eyes when Kaida escaped. The only frustration he allowed himself to show was a small, disappointed sigh and a tiny shake of the head. "Flash step" he murmured, almost to himself. He raised his voice, addressing Grimmjow now. "This is your second failure today, Grimmjow. Find her and bring her to her rooms. I will not tolerate her escape, is that clear?"

Grimmjow turned, his short jacket fluttering behind him, exposing the sexta tattoo displayed on his back. He waved off a careless salute and sauntered away. A maniacal grin slid over his face, pupils shrinking to slits like a cat's and lips curling over his sharpened canines. "Just you wait, girlie. When I find you, you'll wish Aizen'd had the mercy to just kill you in the throne room."

**Oooh, the man give me chills~ Thank you for reading! I hope it's good enough that you will continue to do so!**


	5. Chapter 5

She woke to pure white. The very first thought to enter her head was that she had died a second time. At least, she hoped that was the case. But no, her body pulsed with pain, far too overwhelming to mean death. Her body felt as though it were filled with lead; when she raised an arm to block out the never-ending white, it trembled with the effort. She allowed it to fall back to her side with a light thud when it hit linen sheets. She didn't want to move, just sleep. Sleep and forget all her troubles and pains. But she knew she was still in a hostile place: she had to get out.

With a groan of effort mingled with pain, Kaida threw her legs over the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands, gasping as the move pulled at the cuts and bruises that riddled her body. She sat there a moment, slumped forward just trying to regain her breath. She noticed dryly that someone had had the decency to rewrap the bandages on her body; they were so tightly wound that she thought her chest might concave. A still silence filled the room, pressing on her just ever so uncomfortably and made it difficult to take in a full breath. The sort of pressure that came from a high reiatsu. Kaida frowned; she had a high enough spiritual pressure that the only one that should even tickle her senses was Aizen, but she didn't recognize it.

At that moment, large double doors across the room burst open. Kaida lifted her head from her hands, struggling to even keep her eyes open by now. Blue invaded the endless white of the room in her blurry vision. It stalked closer to Kaida and a face materialized before her own, shockingly azure eyes glared at her. "Still alive, huh woman? That's a damn shame," his voice grated in her ears and it took all her effort not to wince at the sound. Her cerulean eyes met his, determination like a deep well in spite of being so injured she could hardly move. Deep bags formed under her eyes; she could feel her hair was as tangled as a rat's nest.

This seemed to anger Grimmjow, though she still hadn't said anything. He drew away. "What's with that look, woman? I hate it; it's just like that damn kid's." he growled. She said nothing, never taking her eyes off him. Her vision was beginning to clear; she could see the grimace on his face, his eyebrows snapping together. She was wary of the espada crouched in front of her. It did not escape her that he had almost killed her when he found her wandering the halls. She had no way to defend against him. She realized now that her reiatsu had plummeted, the result of her long trek around Aizen's fortress while sporting wounds and fatigue. It would take a while before it leveled out again. His hand shot out, grabbing her throat, closing off all air. "I'm _talking to you_ woman," Grimmjow snarled. "Don't forget where you are." Her body, already oxygen deprived, fought for air

Grimmjow released her with a look of contempt. "Just like a woman," he spat. "You're weak." He tossed a roll of bandages at her. Change those," he ordered, but made no sign of leaving. Kaida waited a moment but the man didn't budge. She ground her teeth, furious at being degraded to strip down in front of a man. He seemed to hate women enough that he wouldn't try anything at least- not that she could stop him as she was now.

She stood, untucking the first wind of the gauze around her torso. There was a feral, sadistic gleam in Grimmjow's eyes. "What're you lookin' at?" Kaida demanded finally, voice rough from wear and lack of use. A sneer grew on Grimmjow's face.

"Not like you'd have anything I'd like to look at," he mocked. Kaida's eyebrows snapped together, nerves frayed from exhaustion and the constant pressure of reiatsu. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she trembled slightly.

"I don't question the way people swing," was all Kaida muttered. The next moment she found herself shoved onto the bed, Grimmjow's weight pressed on her entire body. "You'd be long dead if you weren't under that bastard's protection," Grimmjow's voice was barely above a whisper.

Her hand clamped like a vise over the man's wrist. Her breaths came out as labored pants, but she pried his grip off her throat. "When it comes to that bastard, I'd rather be dead than in his presence with no way to kill him." Kaida spat. Her eyes glinted feverishly as she glared up at the arrancar. "Now get off me before I get really angry. I don't think Aizen would be too keen if one of his precious Espada died on 'im."

To Kaida's surprise, instead of killing her, Grimmjow chuckled. As he sat up, it escalated to a manic, hysteric laugh. He climbed off the white haired woman who simply stared at him in bemusement. He rounded on her, eyes gleaming with something inhuman. "Listen up, woman. You better keep that attitude up or I'll really kill you. At least you're not that crying wretch that that damned Ulquiorra has to watch." Kaida's head was spinning; she didn't hear or comprehend his words.

She lurched to her feet, yanking at the bandages. She gasped in pain as they peeled away, exposing deep wounds that were once again bleeding sluggishly. Angry red welts striped what skin hadn't been ripped open or bruised. As the bandages fell away the welts immediately began to bruise. She stared at the mess on her torso in amazed disgust. "Who in the holy hell did this?" she demanded, gesturing at her ruined chest, only the barest bit covered. Grimmjow's laugh died out and he fixed a sullen glare on her.

"I did," He growled, turning away. "Apparently Aizen wasn't happy about your escape." Kaida said nothing, but watched as the blue haired Espada rolled his shoulder back to work out kinks. He didn't say anything else, but Kaida had lost her moment of respect with him.

Kaida swiftly unrolled some of the heavy gauze and applied it gingerly. The strips were heavily medicated; the smell of herbs wafted up to her nose and stung with bitterness. She deftly wound the fabric around her body, pinning the pure white over the blood, shielding it from view.

As soon as she tucked the end away; she found herself once more pinned against a rock hard body. It grated against her sensitive body and she winced in pain. She squirmed in Grimmjow's grasp, but didn't have the strength to force him off. Her arm was wrenched back- so hard she thought it'd rip off- and her other arm was trapped to her side. "You're not getting away from me again," Grimmjow rumbled into her ear. He dragged her along, shouldering the doors open and all but carried her down the hall.

Kaida hung limply, unable to move as Grimmjow's jerking actions pulled at her wounds. All she could do was focus on breathing and keep her eyes from swimming. He took her down a winding network of hallways. Eventually Grimmjow had to shift her body so that he could carry her because she could no longer support her own weight. He grumbled obscenities under his breath, but didn't openly mock her this time. Kaida supposed he might have some slight heart enough to feel pity for almost killing her. Or at least that he had come so close to disobeying orders if he had actually killed her.

He finally stopped before a new set of double doors. Kaida's bandages were already stained once more with blood. She felt dizzy from blood loss. A girlish squeal invaded her ears and she looked up weakly to see Orihime, clad in the white of the arrancar. The girl had her hands clasped before her face in concern, but didn't move to run to Kaida. Her eyes flickered up fearfully at the Espada carrying Kaida. Ulquiorra stood in a corner, uncaring of what was taking place with his charge.

Grimmjow deposited Kaida's body in front of the other girl, and she crumpled to the ground in a heap of limbs and tangled hair. "Heal her," Grimmjow ordered gruffly. Orihime dropped next to the injured Captain. She lifted the older woman's head onto her lap, smoothing out a stray lock from her face.

"Rurani- san, what happened to you…?" Orihime whispered. Kaida grinned up at the girl, pain clouding her eyes and tightening her face. Sweat trickled down her forehead into her hairline and her chest heaved with effort. The bandages were almost soaked with blood.

"Orihime… what are you doing here? Why aren't you in Karakura? I'll kill that Kurosaki kid," Kaida demanded, her grin falling off her face. Orihime was an important asset to the shinigami; if Aizen had her, Soul Society was in huge trouble.

"I've been here for a few hours," Orihime told her gently. "Please don't be angry with Kurosaki-kun. I came here willingly. Kaida jolted, then fell back, wheezing as her wounds flared open.

"Willingly?!" Kaida sputtered. "Orihime, they'll kill you!" in answer, Grimmjow tapped the injured woman none too lightly with his foot.

"Got a point, this one. You don't give us what we want… well I hope you've made peace with your gods." Orihime paled visibly, but Kaida had to give her credit for keeping calm. She knew that Orihime was not as adept at handling these situations as Kaida herself might be.

Kaida's head lolled back, the last of her energy drained. She was dying; she could feel it slipping away with each passing moment. Her vision faded, a glimpse of Orihime lit from behind the last thing she saw before the world grew dark. All sound became static in her ears. "Like… an angel…" she whispered. She reached out to the orange haired teen, but it fell limp just before she could stretch out far enough. Static filled her ears, drowning out almost all other noise but she could make outa girl's voice; panicked with a shrill note underlying.


	6. Chapter 6

The next time Kaida woke, the blazing pure white was again the first sight to invade her vision. The second was that the bandages on her body were gone, leaving smooth, unbroken skin behind. There was no trace of her wounds; it was as if they had never been inflicted.

Kaida grimaced at what had woken her in the first place; a roaring headache. Before she could even get her bearing, she was caught in a vision calling her to the spirit realm of her zanpakuto. She was not given the opportunity to glimpse the man sitting silently in the corner of the room. He watched as her eyes opened and had been about to stand, but then the female's eyes emptied and she stared vacantly at the ceiling. He knew there would be no reaching her until she came out of her stupor. He had more waiting in store.

The world she opened her eyes to was a barren wasteland. The sun beat mercilessly on her, baking the ground beneath her with a dry heat that sucked all moisture from the air and earth. Blackened remains of trees littered the space; there seemed to be no other form of life around. Her zanpakuto had waited to reach her until she had the reiatsu to resonate with him. She braced herself for his arrival. He would be angry. "I've waited for you, Master," a cold voice behind Kaida startled the woman; she hadn't heard or sensed him. She turned to face him. Her zanpakuto was tall, much taller than she was. He towered over her, long locks of hair black as the depths of a never ending pit tied off at the nape of his neck, only slightly obscuring his molten gold eyes that seemed to pierce her soul. He was pale, so pallid that Kaida could just make out the network of veins under his skin if she got close enough. Despite the heat, he was clad in a billowing black cloak. Beneath he wore traditional Chinese garb; loose flowing black pants that narrowed at the shin and a Chinese style top which mirrored the color of his eyes. He made a striking figure, to say the least, her Ketatamashiite.

"I'm here now, Ketatamashiite. I've been trying to reach you but my reaitsu drained away when I escaped the throne room-" Kaida began, cut off by a backhand from her sword's spirit.

"I grant you my power in battle, do not throw me away so carelessly, you fool," the man hissed. Kaida wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, making a face at the smear of blood. She was growing tired of seeing her blood.

"I would have been in a much worse position if I tried to take you back immediately. I thought if I could get away long enough I'd be able to formulate a plan to retireve you and get out of that hell-hole. I know you know that; our connection was not severed the moment they took you. You know getting you back is my first objective. I will not abandon my soul." Kaida objected. She had to tread carefully; not all shinigami had as good a relationship with their zanpakuto as Kurosaki. Ketatamashiite was of a more volatile nature. He merely tolerated her presence, but he would never truly accept her.

Her answer was not enough; he let her know by throwing her across his realm. She flew through the air, crashing into the packed dirt which crumbled beneath her, dust rising as her body crashed into the unforgiving ground. He strode to meet her as she struggled to stand, picking her up by the throat, which seemed to be the new favorite way to grab her nowadays. He tightened his grip, crushing her windpipe in the process. He pulled her close. "Do not think you are worthy enough to address me as such. I may serve you, but we are on different levels, you and I. You will never own me. He tossed her away once more. Kaida curled around herself in the dust, making herself as small as possible. Her zanpakuto was the only being she would show such weakness to and he hated her for it.

"You know I never sought to own you," she whispered. Even though he was a distance away from her, he heard her as clearly as if she were next to him. His face broke into an ugly glare, eyes blazing and snapping. Dark storm clouds rolled in to mask the sun's brutal glare. Lightning crashed; the thunder booming directly after. A fierce wind picked up, whipping Kaida's hair into a frenzy.

"Find a way to retrieve me, Master," Ketatamashiite snapped. "I will not always be so tolerant of your failure." The wind wrapped around Kaida and she was illuminated by a ray of the sun that managed to peek through the dense cloud. She stared directly into it and somewhere through the blinding light she found herself jolted back into her mortal body.

Air rushed into her lungs, choking her with the suddenness of it. Her crushed windpipe did not carry from the spiritual realm to her body, but the feeling of being able to breathe came far too quickly for the captain's mind to register. She lurched forward coughing violently. A large hand slammed into her back, driving all the air from her lungs. Hacking and sputtering, she looked through watering eyes at the electric blue hair that was really beginning to get on her nerves.

He grinned evilly at her. "Feel better, Soul Reaper? You can't even sleep without hurting yourself," he mocked. Kaida glared as she caught her breath.

"I guess you wouldn't understand. An arrancar wouldn't have a zanpakuto spirit to talk to now would he?" Kaida countered, spiteful from her encounter with Ketatamashiite and the rude awakening that accompanied it.

"You sure are mouthy for a prisoner, woman. You better watch yourself," Grimmjow warned, his face darkening.

"We both know you can't hurt me. Aizen's orders, remember?" Kaida reminded him sweetly. She met his glare with one of her own. They stared at each other for long moments before Grimmjow finally broke contact, snarling as he made his way to the doors.

"Think you're tough do ya?" He muttered, loud enough for her to hear. "Not so strong without that damn weapon of yours to hide behind." He looked at her over his shoulder, hoping to get a rise out of her.

"Would you care to test that?" Kaida slid out of the bed-white, naturally- and stood on the cold marble floor, shivering as a chill ran up her legs to her lower back. "I_ am_ a Captain after all. He spun, opening his mouth to argue, but something seemed tp hold him back. Silently, gritting his teeth in frustration, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. The doors slammed shut behind him and a heavy thud resounded in the room as a tumbler fell into place in a lock.


End file.
